Chapter 245: A Swordswoman's Heart, and the Battle for the Prisoner Cart
Inside the castle, flames danced and crackled in the fireplace, dispersing all the chill brought by the storm.
Chopper squatted by the sofa, skillfully applying bandages with his hooves, muttering incessantly, "Honestly... you always get so banged up!"
Zoro leaned back on the sofa. Though wrapped in bandages, his gaze remained sharp. "These are just scratches."
Mihawk sat quietly in a high-backed chair before the fireplace, holding a glass of red wine in one hand. The liquid refracted deep crimson light under the firelight.
He narrowed his golden, hawk-like eyes, slowly sweeping over Zoro and Kuina.
"Roy sent you here... what exactly does he want you to gain from me?"
Kuina straightened her back. "We want to become stronger!"
Mihawk swirled his wine glass gently. "The method to become stronger is actually very simple—go challenge the strong, and survive."
With that, he turned to Zoro, a rare glint of sharpness appearing in his eyes. "Today, you did well."
Zoro just huffed coldly. "I'll get stronger, then beat you."
Mihawk didn't respond. He took a sip of wine and shifted his gaze to Kuina.
The flash of insight in those golden eyes made Kuina grip her sword hilt tighter involuntarily.
"Your sword intent is steadier and more precise than Zoro's..."
Mihawk spoke slowly. "But it's missing something."
Kuina frowned, her gaze darkening slightly. "Missing what?"
Mihawk lowered his eyes slightly, tapping the glass with his finger. "Obsession."
"In Zoro's sword, there is only one thing—to win, no matter what."
"But your sword... has other things mixed in. Too cluttered, too restrained, not pure enough."
Kuina was shaken. She wanted to retort, but under Mihawk's hawk-like gaze, she couldn't utter a word.
That sentence, like a blade, pierced the deepest doubt in her heart.
...
The rain continued unabated. On the castle terrace, wind howled past, carrying cold moisture.
Kuina stood alone, gripping the Wado Ichimonji tightly, the cold scabbard seeping chill into her palm.
Her gaze fell on the dense forest in the rainstorm, a voice echoing softly in her heart: "Is my sword... not pure enough?"
"Clearly, from the very beginning, my goal was clear—to become the World's Strongest Swordswoman..."
"Why... would Mihawk say my sword intent is cluttered?"
In her mind, scenes of battles since acquiring her Devil Fruit ability surfaced involuntarily.
Every time she swung her sword, the power of the fruit always stirred within her sword intent, adding strength to the slash but subtracting a simple sharpness.
"Is it because... deep down, I still resist that power? Or... am I afraid of my true self?"
Familiar footsteps sounded from behind.
"Oi, Kuina."
Zoro, wearing a half-open coat, his bandages soaked by rain, showed no sign of weakness.
He walked to her side, leaning casually against the cold railing. "Don't drag me down tomorrow."
Kuina glanced at him. "Worry about yourself first, invalid."
Zoro grinned. "Just a scratch. I'll be fine after a nap."
Amidst the sound of rain, Zoro suddenly looked into the distance, his voice deepening. "Mihawk was right. Your sword is too... disciplined."
Kuina paused, turning to stare at him.
Zoro didn't look at her. His gaze seemed to pierce through the storm to the endless sea. "You care too much about things outside the 'sword'... especially that fruit's power."
"Swordsmanship isn't arithmetic. There's no absolute 'correct'."
"A real sword sometimes needs to be a little crazy... even if you risk your life, you have to let the sword intent release completely."
Kuina stood frozen, fingertips slowly tightening on the hilt, heart rate accelerating.
Zoro's words were like a slash on the battlefield, cutting through certain shackles deep in her heart.
Zoro turned his head, gave her a faint look, then turned to leave. From around the corner came Chopper's roar: "Zoro! Why are you still out in the rain?!!"
Kuina stared at his back, emotions churning within.
"Crazy... unbound by external things..."
Raindrops slid down her hair. She slowly closed her eyes, letting the rain hit her face, her breathing gradually steadying.
"Maybe... I really should let go of that part of the power and face my current self directly."
...
Sabaody Archipelago · Grove 13 Battlefield
"BOOM!!!"
Vista danced wildly with his twin swords. Sword energy like a violent storm forcibly tore through the burning wall of fire in front of Ace!
Flames scattered and surged. Vista roared, his blade carrying fierce Haki, aiming straight for Ace's throat!
Ace's pupils contracted. Blazing orange-red flames ignited instantly on his arms, his fist seemingly condensing a burning meteor:
"FLAME COMMANDMENT: FIRE FIST!!!"
"BANG!!!"
The giant flame fist collided head-on with the sword energy. The airwave exploded like a hurricane!
Ace was knocked back several steps, but the flames on his forehead burned even fiercer.
On the other side, Jozu, fully diamondized, tanked Luffy's "Dragon Fist Cannon" invincibly and countered with a punch:
"BANG—!!!"
The massive diamond fist smashed Luffy directly into the hard ground, shattering it into radial cracks!
"Brat! Your strength... is still far from enough!!!" Jozu roared, the diamond facets all over his body reflecting terrifying cold light.
In the rubble, Luffy stood up slowly. Blood slid down his cheek, but those determined eyes remained as blazing as fire:
"Heh, this level... isn't even one percent of Grandpa's Iron Fist!!!"
"COME ON!!!"
Beside the prisoner cart,
Amidst thunder and lightning, Andre was charred all over. His back had hideous bloody holes burned by lightning, blood dripping constantly from his tattered coat.
Yet he charged like a wounded beast, eyes bloodshot, roar deafening:
"Marco! No matter the cost, I'm getting you out!!!"
He swung his massive longsword, pushing forward against the explosive sniper rounds fired by Usopp, gritting his teeth!
"AHHH—!!!" Usopp fired desperately, cold sweat soaking his back. Finally, at the last moment, he was forced to roll away, dropping his sniper rifle!
"CRAP!!!"
Seeing Andre's longsword slashing straight at the prisoner cart with a chilling wind, Usopp's face went pale instantly!
Just as the blade was about to fall, a silver light shot over!
Nami, wielding the "Clima-Tact: Swift Beast Form," slashed horizontally instantly, steel wings turning into a violent storm!
"CLANG!!!"
She forcibly blocked Andre's longsword. Steel wings and blade edge collided, emitting an ear-piercing metal sound, sparks flying.
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!"
Nami gritted her teeth, arms trembling under the immense force. The tiles beneath her feet were crushed into countless cracks as she knelt on one knee.
Andre's eyes were scarlet, anger and killing intent intertwining. "Little girl... GET LOST!!!"
His arm muscles bulged, and the longsword exerted force violently, tearing the air with a deafening boom.
Nami's steel wings emitted a whining sound, seeming ready to shatter the next second!
"NAMI-SWAN!!!" Sanji roared in the distance, kicking Epoida away with a violent kick, about to rush to the prisoner cart.
"Heh... your opponent is ME!!!"
Epoida twisted back like a ghost, caterpillar legs flashing cold light straight at Sanji's throat!
"Bastard!!!" Sanji was forced to roundhouse kick to block, eyes burning with monstrous rage, unable to break away.
On the other side, Whitey Bay finally broke free from Nami's suppression (earlier context). Her long sword flashed coldly, accurately stabbing the prisoner cart's chains!
"SNAP—!!!"
The heavy chains broke instantly under the sharp blade, sparks flying!
Inside the cart, Marco, covered in blood, leaned out weakly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Whitey Bay... go, leave me..."
Whitey Bay was teary-eyed, clutching Marco's hand tightly. "Shut up! We leave together!!!"
However, just as she half-pulled Marco out of the cart—
"BOOM!!!"
A roar accompanied by thunderous booming tore through the battlefield!
Jozu was raising his diamond fist to smash Luffy again, but Luffy erupted with Haki like a tsunami, like a furious dragon!
"IRON FIST: DRAGON BONE CANNON!!!"
"BANG!!!"
Jozu's diamond giant fist was forcibly knocked aside. He was blown back dozens of meters by the fist wind, the ground shattered by the pressure!
"NAMIIII—!!!"
Luffy roared wildly. His figure turned into a pink blur, like a pouncing dragon, crossing the battlefield in an instant!
"WHOOSH!"
"DRAGON BONE: SKY SPLITTER!!!"
Accompanying the raging dragon-like fist wind, Luffy's dragon-form impact tore through the air, smashing ruthlessly into Whitey Bay's side!
"BANG!!!"
Whitey Bay had no time to react. Her body was blasted away like a kite with a cut string, smashing heavily into the base of a towering tree, blood spraying, life or death unknown!
Andre, who was suppressing Nami with his longsword, shook all over, a chill running up his spine. He turned his head abruptly!
Reflected in his eyes were a pair of dragon pupils burning with rage. That voice, carrying anger and killing intent, roared as if from the abyss:
"WHAT DO YOU THINK... YOU'RE DOING TO NAMI?!!!"
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